We started offering our grass-fed, grass-finished beef raised on Restoration Oaks Ranch in 2021.
This is high quality meat from cattle that were raised on the grasses that their digestive systems were designed for. No corn finishing, no hormomes or anything else is injected to offset the bovine problems sometimes caused by unnatural diets. Grass raised & finished beef tastes a little different, is lighter on your stomach and is higher in key nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, and a beneficial fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup blueberry vinegar
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter with the olive oil. Add the shallots, garlic, and rosemary and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the honey, salt, pepper and blueberries. Stir in the blueberry vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or so until the blueberries begin to soften and the sauce begins to reduce.
Add the remaining one tablespoon of butter and cook for another 3 minutes.
Serve the sauce hot over either chicken or pork.
Recipe courtesy of Heather Blake, Originally posted on Rocky Mountain Cooking
This is a great article written by Tessa Purdon over at Food24 that describes why we should all be doing more cooking and eating food with vinegar. For most people, blueberry vinegar is new and different. We need to experiment! When a recipe or your food experiment calls for any kind of vinegar, consider blueberry vinegar instead of one of the traditional vinegars. There is no question about the health benefits, let's experiment with the taste. If you are on Facebook, post the results of your experiment on the Santa Barbara Blueberries Facebook page.
- Ed
Santa Barbara Blueberries
Read more: Why We Should Be Cooking With (Blueberry) Vinegar
WHAT THE HECK IS A SHRUB?
In short, a shrub is a flavored drinking vinegar.
In the days before refrigeration, keeping healthy during the long winter months was a challenge. Shrubs were invented in colonial America to preserve the nutrients and flavor of fresh fruit from harvest until the next growing season. Shrubs were also used on long ocean voyages as a source of vitamin C. Lost for centuries, shrubs have been making a comeback in the craft cocktail scene, although as bottled they are non-alcoholic. Try mixing it with club soda for a tasty fruit soda, or add some spirits for an evening drink. Drinking vinegars are perfect for any time of day.
BLUEBERRY & VANILLA SHRUB
The blueberry & vanilla shrub is dark-colored and lush. Its flavor is strong and complex - not at all what you might expect. You need to sample it! This wonderful fermented drink is packed with anti-oxidants and great for mixing on a summer afternoon or fall evening. As you sip, know that your pro-biotic laced libation is really good for you.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 Minutes
Cooling Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS: Crust
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cubed
3 tablespoons ice-cold water
3 tablespoons vodka, chilled
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 Minutes
Cooling Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Cooling Time: N/A
Servings: 18 Crostinis
INGREDIENTS
TOAST
18 (1/4-inch thick) french baguette slices
1 Tbs. olive oil
